Acrylic Versus Polyester Fabric on Furniture

Acrylic Advantages

• Light, springy acrylic fabrics accept and retain vivid colors. They do not suffer damage from moths. Acrylic blends on furniture fabric often feel like luxurious, soft wool. Some acrylic fabrics on furniture feel like plush velvet. Acrylic fabrics are nonallergenic, and you can wash them. They absorb moisture but dry quickly, letting the fabric "breathe," and they do not fade in the sun. Acrylic fabrics are marketed under the brand names Orlon, Acrilan, Creslan, Zefran and Remember.

Acrylic Disadvantages

• Acrylic fabrics on furniture are easily cut or scraped. They soak up perspiration and oils from people who sit on the furniture and can cause allergic reactions in some people. Small fuzz balls called pills or bobbles may form on low quality acrylic fabrics. Acrylic fabrics melt easily, a potential problem if smokers use your furniture regularly. Manufacturers add modacrylic to help their acrylic fabric blends resist fire. Modacrylic is similar to acrylic and was marketed as acrylic until 1960 when the Federal Trade Commission separated the classification of the two fibers. Manufacturers also add modacrylics to make acrylic fabrics look like fur, a combination that is sometimes used on furniture fabrics.

Polyester Advantages

• Polyester fibers are usually blended with acetate, rayon or wool to make a more durable fabric for covering furniture. Polyester blends often have the feel and look of cotton. The more polyester a blend contains, the more it will resist stretching from repeated use of your furniture. Polyester blends in furniture fabric do not form pills or bobbles. They resist stains from waterborne fluids, an advantage if you have children. They do not cut or scrape easily, and they do not lose their color in the sun. They also resist damage by insects and mildew. Polyester fabrics are marketed under the trademark names Dacron, Kodel, Fortrel, Trevira and Silky Touch.

Polyester Disadvantages

• Polyester fabrics feel soft and gentle at first, but that can change quickly as the fibers compact from use, a potential problem if they are used to cover furniture. They collect static electricity, and they absorb and retain perspiration and bodily oils. Polyester and wool blends tend to have problems with pills.